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Messages - Magickalmoon01

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1
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Auction Scene #2...February, 2012
« on: February 13, 2012, 09:07:59 PM »
I think with the tax refunds out there, there are going to be a lot of newbies trying to get as much as they can. A month from now, when they've spent all their money and had the joys of going through the lockers...I bet they won't be back!  I would also bet that rent gets paid up, too with that money but by April/May those units will be listed yet again.

Good luck to all of you this week!!! Keep us posted :)

2
eBay / Re: Shipping & Boxes
« on: February 13, 2012, 02:26:39 PM »
Buying a good scale is a must. I bought mine off of ebay a few years ago, its digital, uses a 9v battery and the top opens wider if you need it to. It is exactly the same as our post office scales, so I don't get any surprises. 

I use the eBay shipping calculator. Enter the box dimensions (this is IMPORTANT) if its an over sized box. If my weight is, lets say 5 pounds, I put it in the calculator for 5 pounds 2 oz just to be on the safe side. I haven't had any major shipping mistakes since Christmas :) But I did learn a great tip on here....add a shipping and handling fee. I use $2.00 which covers insurance and delivery confirmation on parcel post. Sometimes parcel post comes out to more than priority. Its one of those things you will get the hang of.

A good source for boxes is nursing homes. Various sizes and the larger ones have handles (at least ours do around here). I have been shredding newspaper for extra cushion but I do buy bubble wrap.  A good place to get wrap is moving and storage companies. I used to live in an area where they sold it in bulk. Definitely take advantage of the free post office boxes.

3
New to Storage Auctions? / Re: Just started, here's my first go at it
« on: February 08, 2012, 10:13:48 AM »
I would definitely do CL on this item.  The shipping is going to scare people away on eBay (unless you are in an area where local pick up would work).  Moms scour CL for kids stuff and when I sold my stuff off, I had it gone within a day or so.  Are you sure it doesn't fold down? Most of them do, and its a big selling point (car seats take up room in the car, and if it collapses to go in a trunk etc.  You can look online and usually find directions or the book that may have come with it.  Good Luck!!! Let us know what happens  :)

4
Other Forms of Selling / Re: Ebay vs. Flea Market
« on: February 08, 2012, 09:33:26 AM »
Auctions, love the box comment  ;D  although sometimes I think that's true for all of us at some point.  I sometimes get frustrated at all the crap I have and all the work left to do. But once I get through it and get it gone, its a good feeling. 

From what I see at our local flea markets, I would rather hang on to stuff for a garage sale. 

5
General Storage Auction Talk / Calling storage facilities?
« on: February 08, 2012, 09:28:06 AM »
Does anyone call storage facilities asking about sales/auctions? What do you say and what is the response?

I kept seeing legal notices for one facility. The notice said the property would go for public sale on such and such a date. There were at least 4 to 5 different lockers at each date.  BUT..the number to the facility was disconnected.  I didn't want to miss this sale (if there was one) because all of them did have descriptions of what was inside (from what the lkr owners put on the paperwork).  I even had my son drive past and try to find a number (he was right in the area). No luck. So I called the newspaper and explained that I was looking for a number. She asked a lot of questions....kinda caught me off guard.  So I told her I might know one of the lkr owners that was out of state but couldn't contact the facility. Within 5 min I had a call back from the facility owner.  She was very nice and said most people pay and it doesn't go any further, but she took my name and number in case one would come up.  Not sure if she will call or not but its better than doing nothing. Auctions are really scarce here, with the exception of gun or dairy farm/equipment ones  :-\

6
Craigslist / Re: Listing On CL Advice
« on: February 08, 2012, 09:17:21 AM »
This is just my opinion, but I would rather buy something pictured at a storage unit. If you make contact with the seller, it makes you think you are the first or second one getting dibs on it.  If the picture is taken at a store, I think "well, if its at a store and no one has grabbed it, there must be something wrong with it".

To me, pictures are everything and say a lot. If the item is pictured in a dirty environment, I wouldn't want it. Chances are it wasn't taken care of, etc. On the other hand, if the item is pictured with other things that might be of interest and for sale, I would check them out...maybe to get a deal on multiple purchases.

7
The Treasure Chest / Re: Nazi Silver
« on: February 07, 2012, 06:09:20 PM »
Thanks Craigs!  I threw em on there, see where it goes.

They all started out looking silver but when I took the pictures they almost look gold or brass. 

I really hate selling stuff like this...I mean they must have meant something to someone at some point in time. On the other hand, need to sell as much as I can from the locker.

8
Welcome Cheesehead :)  I would say its quite a culture shock  ;D

9
eBay / Re: Ebay items from storage lockers
« on: February 07, 2012, 06:03:34 PM »
I paid $10 a few years ago for my digital scale on eBay, too. It is right on, same weight as the post office and has certainly paid for itself.

I haven't sold anything that was cheaper using flat rate, and most of the time item I have don't fit in the box.

I use a lot of priority boxes though and it does have its advantages. They come free, I can have the carrier pick them up at no extra cost (one priority pkg and they will also pick up parcel, 1st class, etc, and the boxes they come in sometimes are just the right size for shipping something else  :)


10
eBay / Re: More eBay fees?????
« on: February 07, 2012, 05:58:16 PM »
I agree, even after the fees it is worth it. 

11
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: are highschool medals worth anything?
« on: February 05, 2012, 05:00:26 PM »
Unfortunately, I let the locker get to me and looked up the owner and children. After seeing school projects, special notes to mom, etc.  Both kids are in prison (even the one who won the medals).   I have about 20 boxes to return to the facility (yes I was going to pitch most, but after reading on here decided to let them deal with it as the locker owner wanted all personal items). 

I think one box we found summed the whole locker up.  AA books in a liquor store box.

For 2 reasons I would not contact the locker owner. #1 if the stuff meant that much to them they wouldn't have let it go and #2 I am not paying for the locker for them to get their stuff back for free. Oh...and I would never want them to know who I was.

12
Flea Markets / Re: What a dick move!
« on: February 05, 2012, 04:54:39 PM »
Ok Alias, think positive. Maybe that was the guys wife and he said "hey honey, look what I bought for you and it was only $20".  Now he's got an extra $20 left in his wallet that she doesn't know about.... ;D

But it really sucks when someone has to lie about it, especially when you specifically asked him.

I went to a flea market today....it was horrible.  The kids found some Pokemon beanies for 50 cents each (score for me after what I had to pay to get some from eBay at Christmas time). 20 vendors tops. It kinda reminded me of people that have rummage sales in their basements or in their house (estate sales I can see) but those inside sales just creep me out.

13
eBay / Re: More eBay fees?????
« on: February 05, 2012, 04:30:58 PM »
I have been selling on ebay for 6 years. I have never been charged a fee for the shipping fees and I do keep track of everything. I went through my detailed billing and I just started getting charged for that.  I never got a surprise for shipping costs because I do have a scale, and never wanted to add a shipping and handling fee, now I don't have a choice.

Rules...You were right.  But..according to eBay those rules started in July. I must have got lucky because it didn't catch up to me until now :)   Yes, my fees are 11% because I did Buy It Now.  I can see eBay's policy for the shipping fee final value.  I have seen this done many times: item sells for 1 cent but shipping is $50. eBay was losing out on the money and seller didn't have to pay the fee.  I don't sell much on eBay during the summer, if at all, so I wasn't as up to date as I should have been.

All in all, I love eBay. Seeing I have kids that love things popular from years ago, that's where I have to go to find things for them.  So I do a lot of buying and selling on eBay.

14
eBay / Re: More eBay fees?????
« on: February 05, 2012, 11:11:19 AM »
I just sold something last night. $8 total.  FV fee was .88 (11%) and the Shipping fee was .40 on $3.65 (11%).

I used to charge exact shipping. Now, though, eBay is cutting into that, too. I have no choice but to add a shipping and handling charge (especially if I use PayPal shipping for Parcel Post and get charged an additional .19 for delivery confirmation. 

I'm usually still making a pretty good profit and shouldn't complain because I can't get those prices anywhere else.  :o

15
Flea Markets / Re: Weekend Sales (2-3-12)
« on: February 04, 2012, 10:38:45 AM »
Good Luck today Money!!!  Let us know how you do  :)

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